The Home Office/UKVI has come to realise that its visa application fees are very high, and not affordable for some migrants. With certain types of application – most particularly family visa applications but not settlement applications – either from outside or within the UK, the applicant (and dependants if any) may be able to apply for a fee waiver.

They can apply for a fee waiver for the visa application fee and the IHS fee, and the Home Office will decide whether to fully or partially grant the fee waiver application. The applicant must prove, to a good standard, that they cannot afford the visa application/IHS fees. If the fee waiver application is unsuccessful the applicant must pay the full fees if they want to proceed with the visa application.

The fee waiver application must be submitted before the visa application and the applicant must wait for the decision before, they can submit the visa application. With an in-country application, if the applicant becomes an overstayer before the fee waiver application has been considered their immigration leave will be protected until the fee waiver application has been decided.